Germany’s President Joachim Gauck becomes first major political figure to boycott Sochi Winter Olymp
Source: Raw Story/The Guardian
Germanys President Joachim Gauck becomes first major political figure to boycott Sochi Winter Olympics
By Philip Oltermann, The Guardian
Sunday, December 8, 2013 9:24 EST
The German president has become the first major political figure to boycott the Sochi Winter Olympics in February. According to German weekly Der Spiegel, Joachim Gauck last week informed the Kremlin of his decision, which is understood to be a response to the Russian governments violations of human rights and harrassment of the opposition.
Gauck, a former Lutheran pastor who played a key part in the East German protest movement before the fall of the Berlin Wall, has declined any official visits to Russia since coming to office in March 2012 and repeatedly criticised the countrys deficit of rule of law and air of imperialism.
In June a scheduled meeting between Gauck and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was cancelled supposedly because of clashing schedules. Gauck had visited both the Olympics and the Paralympics in London last summer.
The boycott is the first by a major political figure. So far, it has mainly been artists and activists such as Stephen Fry, Harvey Fierstein and Lady Gaga, who have called for a boycott of the Sochi Games in reaction to a new Russian law which criminalises gay propaganda.
Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/08/germanys-president-joachim-gauck-becomes-first-major-political-figure-to-boycott-sochi-winter-olympics/
n2doc
(47,953 posts)JimboBillyBubbaBob
(1,389 posts)may others join him in expression.
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)is this really surprising ? He simply just doesn't do Russia.
cosmicone
(11,014 posts)Boycotting is imposing one's will on athletes who have trained for years and who are not part of the politics.
Taking away several young people's dreams for political ends is not justified. I have respect for lady gaga who sacrificed a purse in order to make a statement and it came from her heart. She didn't impose it on others.
It would have a major political impact if all the uniforms of athletes had a prominent display for LGBT rights which will be seen by billions of viewers around the world.
he has the courage to stand up for the rights of ALL human beings , and to abhor political persecution and oppression .
The athletes will have other opportunities to shine .
Skeeter Barnes
(994 posts)SoapBox
(18,791 posts)I love watching the Olympics but remain undecided about these games.
Yes, the athletes have worked hard...and politics should not play a part...but they DO! And they always will. Putin and his Thugs are Human Rights Abusers. Period. The IOC should have gotten some "big brass" and taken these games out of Sochi.
sweetapogee
(1,168 posts)boycotting the event or is the whole German contingent boycotting the games? The OP story seems to indicate that it is just the president. I see nothing about the athletes staying home. Can someone clear this up?
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)Doubtless Angela Merkel will go anyway.
nt
DonCoquixote
(13,615 posts)The sad part is, if Putin did not try throwin red meat to his Orthodox church, he could have looked like the new light of the world, the one ready to show the world how to do buisness now that uncle sam fumbled, but now, he is just another Czar. Modern Russia is the Soviet Union without the socialist idealism that was their redemptive point.
Cha
(295,899 posts)Russia!
thanks DV
muriel_volestrangler
(101,146 posts)Mr Fabius announced the decision on French radio, but gave no explanation.
...
Mr Fabius told Europe 1 radio on Sunday: "Top French officials have no plans to be there."
...
European Commission deputy head Viviane Reding has also said she was not attending.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25392175